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How to blur an image on Android

On Android, Google Photos can hide part of a picture: open the photo, tap Edit, then Markup, then Redact, and drag over what you want hidden. Some phones, including Pixel, also offer portrait blur for backgrounds. For a blur or pixelation you control on any Android phone, use the tool on this page in Chrome, where nothing is uploaded.

Blur imageUpdated 3 min read

Hide part of a photo with Redact in Google Photos

These are Google's steps for the Google Photos app:

  1. Open the Google Photos app and open the photo.
  2. At the bottom, tap Edit, then Markup. On some phones it's Edit, then Tools, then Markup.
  3. Tap Redact, the tool Google describes as the one to blur or remove sensitive info.
  4. Drag over each part to hide, then tap the checkmark.
  5. Tap Save to change the original, or Save as copy to keep the original untouched.

Google says that when you share a redacted photo, other people can't undo the edit or uncover the hidden pixels. If you saved over the original, you can still undo it on your own device with Revert.

Blur a background with portrait blur

Google Photos lists portrait blur among its editing features. Some of those features only work on Pixel phones, so you may not see it on yours. Where it isn't available, you can soften a background with the tool below by drawing boxes around your subject; the background blur page is set up for that.

Blur or pixelate exactly the parts you choose

Redact is quick, but you can't choose between blur and pixelation or set the strength. The tool below can. It starts on a blur with Areas I pick selected.

  1. Tap Choose an image and pick the photo from your gallery or files.
  2. Choose Blur, Pixelate or Solid box, and set the strength.
  3. Drag your finger over each face, name or number to hide. Each box is listed under the tool so you can adjust it.
  4. Pick JPG for photos or PNG for screenshots, then tap Download image.

Blur image

Open the full tool

The download is a new image drawn from what you see, so it doesn't carry the photo's location data, and your original stays as it was.

Which to use

  • Quick cover-up of a name or a card number: Redact in Google Photos, or Solid box in the tool. A solid cover is the safest choice for text; blurred and pixelated text can sometimes be read back.
  • Faces in a group photo or strangers in the background: blur or pixelate in the tool. The face blur page starts with settings for faces.
  • Soft background behind one person: portrait blur, if your phone has it.

On an iPhone? See how to blur an image on iPhone.

Sources

Questions

How do I blur part of an image on Android?

In Google Photos, open the photo, tap Edit, then Markup, then Redact, and drag over the part to hide. For a blur or pixelation with a strength you choose, open the photo in the tool on this page in Chrome.

How do I blur a picture I've already taken?

Open it from your gallery in Google Photos, or choose it in the tool on this page. Both work on any photo already on your phone, and Save as copy keeps the original.

How do I create a blur effect on Android?

Some phones, including Pixel, offer portrait blur in Google Photos for a soft background. On any Android phone, the tool on this page blurs the whole picture or the boxes you draw.